Equinox

Summer: Chapter 3

Madara wasn't a morning person. He wasn't exactly cheerful when he received a phone call barely past 7 in the morning.

Still, he got out of bed and got dressed. And he was at the diner by 9, like she'd asked.

Sakura already sat in one of the vinyl booths. The hoops in her ears were silver, matching the rings stacked on her middle and fourth fingers. She was adjusting her ponytail when Madara walked in through the glass doors.

His designer suit was out of place. It clashed, almost laughably, against the scuffed linoleum and the plastic menus. But, in an odd way, it also fit so well. Then again, Madara made everything look good.

He slid into the seat across from her, lowering his sunglasses. Folding them, he tucked them into his inner pocket. Madara glanced around before his gaze fell on her.

"This is... different. I don't think I've ever seen you functioning this early before," he remarked.

"Jetlag. Don't get used to it," she replied.

He smiled as he accepted the menu she held out to him.

"The strawberry waffles are really good here. So are the coconut pancakes," Sakura recommended as she glanced over the categori

"Instinct?"

She peered around the edge of the menu. "Experience."

Madara's eyebrows rose. And then he disappeared behind his menu too.

It was true that she wasn't much of a breakfast person. But Itachi had brought her here a few times before. At first, she had balked at the kitschy decor and the metal counters. The jokes had stopped with her first sip of coffee though- fragrant and just a little burnt. Exactly what she needed to combat her hangover.

The waitress stopped by to top off Sakura's coffee and then eyed Madara. She was an older woman in her forties, but she smiled at him, tilting her hip toward him as she asked what he'd like. Her tone suggested that she was hoping he would reply, "You".

Madara had that effect on everyone.

Hands clasped together, he asked for hot tea.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" he queried, leaning in toward her. Sakura swatted him back with the menu.

"I'm hungry. Let me order first," she insisted. And when he frowned, she swatted him again.

"I thought you were patient. Didn't you brag about sitting through the Peloponnesian War just to see who'd win?" she then remarked. Madara rubbed at his hand. He had cast a low-level glamour over them to hide his talons. They looked like they were made of smooth, white skin.

"I napped through it, Bunny. Don't be absurd. I waited through Alexander the Great's campaigns," he corrected her, resting his cheek in his hand now as he watched her.

"Were you watching the war or Alexander?" she asked, peeking out from behind the menu.

Madara's expression didn't shift as he replied, "Not even. He was a horrible dancer."

And then he grew quiet as he let her decide what to eat.

In the end, Sakura ordered french toast with a side of fruit. Madara declined anything else. Eating was a formality for him, since he lived off energy, like all demons did. He didn't derive any particular satisfaction from eating, but he had learned to do it to blend into human society. Drinking was also something he didn't technically need, but he claimed that it helped keep him sane.

His eyes narrowed as the waitress walked away with the menus.

"So," she said, turning back to him.

Madara raised his left eyebrow.

"I want my own studio. And health benefits," Sakura declared.

Madara very slowly lowered his arm. And then he leaned in closer, eyes gleaming.

"What else?" he asked, eyes beginning to glow red as he fired up a potent deal.

Sakura barely managed to get home during the next month. She found herself crashing in Temari's living room almost every night. And even though Temari assured her that it was fine, she couldn't help but feel guilty.

A couple of those nights, Sakura found herself done with work a little too early to sleep and a little too late to drive back home. She called Itachi, who always claimed that he had nothing going on and hurried out to meet her. It was nice that he was in the city during the weekdays, at least.

"Y'know," she said, glancing up at him. He handed her a cocktail in a plastic cup as he joined her at the table. The seat was metal and not particularly comfortable, but it was better than sitting on the grass or standing, as most people were doing.

"You don't have to throw everything out the window whenever I call. You can say no if you're busy," Sakura told him.

"I know. I also know that you're the best excuse to get out... anything," declared Itachi as he set two cups down in front of her. They were both filled with chia seeds and something bright purple. A flat yellow disk stuck out of the cup as a garnish. Thick slices of dragonfruit poked out of the purple mixture. Her jaw dropped for a moment. But her mouth closed again as Itachi stuck a plastic spoon in her hand.

"Explain," she demanded.

"Ube chia cups. The girl said that there's banana and blueberry in there somewhere," Itachi replied.

"Yow-za," Sakura remarked before she took a big bite.

"I can't believe that your hipster bullshit tastes this delicious," she then sighed.

"Your saltiness is noted," Itachi replied.

Sakura and Madara were busy every day looking for a new office space and trying to get in touch with people. It felt like a cup of coffee had become permanently fused to her hand as she hurried around the city. And the amount of schmoozing and networking she had to do made her consider violence on a couple occasions.

They finally found a good place in a good location. After some persuading, she and Madara managed to negotiate it down to a reasonable price, too. And once all the paperwork was signed, Sakura decided that it was time for a break.

"No drinks to celebrate? I'd thought you'd be more excited," he said, even as he walked her out to her car.

"I wanna sleep in my own bed. I'll see you on Monday, Boss," she groaned. Madara held his finger up.

"Ah-ah. Not your boss anymore. We're both in charge now," he reminded her.

"Fine. Madara, I'll see you Monday," Sakura amended with a smile.

When Sakura pulled into her driveway, it was already dark out. There was no food in the fridge, except for some ancient takeout that needed to go in the trash. As she stood in the kitchen, debating whether it was worth driving to the grocery store or not, there was a knock on the front door.

It was Ino. She had probably just closed the cafe for the night. She held up a blue box in both her hands. Her wings glittered faintly behind her.

"You felt hungry when you drove past," Ino explained. She leaned in so Sakura could hug her.

"You're an angel," Sakura sighed.

"A fairy, actually," Ino teased as she stepped into the house.

They caught up over the grilled eggplant sandwiches that Ino had brought. There was also a slice of delightful blueberry pie.

"So that's exciting. Are you a CEO now?" asked Ino, lifting her tea to her lips. Sakura wrinkled her nose, head tilting to one side. Then the other.

"I... guess?" Sakura said.

Ino caught Sakura up on all the gossip before she headed home for the night. Sakura waved to her from the top step of her porch. She scanned the shadows as Ino got into her car and turned the key in the ignition. One of the shadows shifted. Sakura wasn't afraid, though. Not when she recognized the tail swirling with black mist.

"Hey, Sheriff. Out for the night patrol?" she greeted him as he crossed her yard.

The church grim ventured up the short steps to rub against her palm. Kakashi didn't like to faze between forms during his nightly patrol. It wasted a lot of energy, according to him.

"Can you do me a favor and make sure that Ino gets home safe?" she requested, scratching between his ears before she got under his chin too.

He stared up at her. With those big, luminous eyes. And it was almost like she could hear his voice.

'I'd rather stay here.'

But when she smiled, he gave her palm a light lick before he headed down the sidewalk.

Sakura watched Ino's car roll down the street. Kakashi's black silhouette ran after it. He would make sure that she got into her house okay.

She stretched out like an overgrown starfish in her bed. It was heavenly. While Temari's couch wasn't awful, it couldn't compare to the comfort of her bed. The bed that smelled just right. And things became even better when the rain began to patter gently against the roof. She almost fell asleep until the raindrops began to fall harder. Plinking out an interesting rhythm over her head. The sound weaved in and out of her dreams as she finally closed her eyes.

The following morning was a Saturday. Sakura woke up to her phone ringing from somewhere up on the loft. She let it ring and went back to sleep once it stopped.

It was only a couple hours later that she stumbled out of bed. Her hair stood up and tangled in ways that might have bent the laws of physics. Scratching her stomach, she shuffled straight to the coffee maker. She felt productive today.

Sakura missed her phone ringing a second time. This time, it wasn't on purpose. She had her headphones on as she smashed out rhythms on her electric drums. She was sure that if she were playing on traditional drums, someone would have filed a noise complaint against her.

As she pulled her headphones off, she heard a clatter outside. Probably the sound of the mailman dropping off her things. She climbed down from the loft.

Someone yelled from down the street when she walked down the gravel path in her flip-flops. Sakura lifted her chin to follow the sound. She spotted Kiba bolting down the sidewalk toward her. She could see his scratched-up green truck further down the street a second before he collided with her.

"Man, you got TAN!" he exclaimed as he swung her back and forth.

"Are you a werewolf or a bulldozer?" she pretended to complain even as she laughed. She slapped his shoulder with the stack of letters in her right hand.

"Why can't be both?" he replied in a horrible impression of a Russian accent. That only made her laugh harder.

When Kiba finally released her, he was grinning from ear to ear. That expression faded as he looked her over.

"Woah. What happened to you? I've never seen someone come back from vacation and look more tired," he commented. Sakura wrinkled her nose.

"Things have been crazy with work lately," she sighed. As if to punctuate her statement, a yawn left her mouth as soon as she finished talking. Kiba stood rubbing his goatee for a while. And then he snapped, expression brightening again.

"...I've got a cure for that. You busy?"

Sakura glanced back at the house. "Uh... guess not?"

"Cool. Let's go," Kiba said, taking her hand. "I wanna show you something."

The smell of salt filled the air. Sakura squeezed Kiba's hand whenever the planks sagged or creaked. She jumped when something rustled in the trees. Kiba grinned over his shoulder at her.

"Want me to carry you?" he offered.

"You asshole," she snapped. Laughing, Kiba faced forward again.

In her head, Sakura had always known that technically Old Pines was right by the ocean. But for some reason, it had surprised her when Kiba had taken her through an old footpath past the old church. Through the woods until they could see the water sparkling under the summer sun.

There was a wooden walkway that zig-zagged down the side of the cliffs, leading to the shore below. The beach wasn't covered in fine sand like in all the Hollywood movies. Instead, it was covered in rocks and chunks of driftwood worn smooth by the waves.

"It's... empty," Sakura observed.

"Too rocky. Most people drive up north to get to the sand beaches this time of year," he explained. And then he pointed to a lonely fishing pier at the end of the beach. There were a narrow set of wooden steps leading up to it. Sakura climbed up after him. Sakura touched the surface, just to test it. The planks were still a little damp from the rain the night before. Kiba didn't seem to care about that as he plopped down at the end of it, legs dangling over the edge.

"This is my secret spot. I used to come here with my sister when I was a kid," he told her, patting the spot next to him.

Sakura glanced down at her white shorts. She crouched beside him instead.

"You fish?" she asked. From what she understood, fishing took a lot of patience. Kiba seemed more the type to dive into the water and yank them out with his bare hands. He didn't ever seem to like sitting still for too long.

"Nah. My old man would teach my sister. Mostly I'd just follow and dick around. Dig worms up for them. Stuff like that," he explained. Which made a lot more sense to her. She could imagine him as a kid. Rolling around in the mud and making a mess. Grabbing wiggling handfuls of night-crawlers and pestering Hana with a million questions. It was cute. Just imagining it made her smile.

Kiba watched her. And, as if on reflex, he smiled when she did. She realized that he had a faint dimple in his right cheek.

"Wait. Isn't that uncomfortable?" he then asked when he noticed that she wasn't actually sitting.

"White pants, my friend," she explained.

"Oh."

Kiba looked around, patted his pockets. And then he stared down at himself.

"Kiba, what are you doing?" Sakura sighed. She watched as he pulled his t-shirt off. The way that guys always did it. Grabbing the back of his collar to yank it over his head in one motion. He stretched it over the damp wood and then patted it.

"It's clean. Promise," he assured her.

Sakura snorted even as she sat on top of the shirt. "Okay. You're clearly just looking for an excuse to show off your muscles. But okay," she retorted.

Kiba glanced at his bicep, giving it a little flex.

"I mean, that's not the only reason," he muttered. And then he met Sakura's eyes. "Am I jacked? You likey?" he then asked, the fake Russian accent returning.

She couldn't help but dissolve into giggles. "Yes. So jacked," she assured him.

Sakura was glad that Kiba had shown her this place. It wouldn't have ever occurred to her that there was a path from the town down to the beach. And only after he had assured her that he didn't mind her using his spot, she started to come here to clear her head. The sounds of the waves crashing against the shore felt like it was scrubbing her brain clean.

The first time she had come out there on her own, she had fallen asleep for a while. The angry sunburn that stretched across her shoulders helped her learn her lesson. She always remembered to wear a hat and sunblock from that day on.

Sakura followed the wooden walkway and stairs that zigzagged down the side of the cliff. The planks creaked, but they held her weight well. Someone had done a good job of maintaining this path, although she couldn't imagine who.

Kiba never joined her there again. At first, she worried that she had stolen his spot. But when she asked one day over beers on her porch, Kiba shook his head too much.

"Sakura, I have, like, a million hiding spots. I gave that one to you. It's yours now," he replied.

"Why?"

Kiba blinked a few times. He tilted his head a little. Sort of like puppies did with their big, floppy ears. "You just... you just look like you need a break. So that's your spot now. Don't worry about me."

"Really?"

"Really."

The next time she ran into Kiba, it was while she was getting lunch with Tenten. He ducked into Ino's cafe to pick up a coffee and a quick snack. And when he spotted them sitting by the window, he hugged both of them.

"Hey, Ten. Did you tell Sakura yet?" he asked.

Tenten's eyes widened. She slapped her palm against the side of her head. Turning to Sakura, she exclaimed, "Shit, I forgot. Sorry, Sakura."

Baffled, Sakura lowered her iced coffee. "For what?"

"We're having a bonfire down by the beach tomorrow. You have to be there," he told her.

"Oh, that? Ino already told me," replied Sakura. And Ino appeared from the kitchen with Kiba's sandwich. She set it on the counter, leaning her elbow against the refrigerated display case.

"What would any of you fools do without me?" Ino sighed.

"Die, probably," answered Tenten. Kiba and Sakura considered this before they both nodded.

The following afternoon, Ino and Tenten picked her up. Sakura hopped into the car, next to the blue plastic cooler strapped into the back seat. She peeked inside as Tenten drove down the street.

"What'd you bring?" Ino asked, twisting around to look at her.

Sakura held up the big tupperware container resting in her lap. As soon as she cracked the red lid, the fragrance of vanilla and chocolate flooded the car.

"Ooh! Did you sing to those cookies or something?" Tenten exclaimed.

Ino pinched a cookie out of the container. She broke it in half, stuffing one piece into Tenten's mouth before she took a bite of the other.

"Wow," was all Ino said.

Sakura smiled as Ino repeated "Wow" in a louder voice. Ino turned around again, pointing at her. "Let me know if the whole music thing doesn't work out. I could use you."

By the time they arrived at the beach, it was already busy with people.

Someone had set up a volleyball net. A small group of people were playing a game. Poorly. But they were laughing all the same.

There were a couple event tents dug into rocky sand. Some people lounged on towels and folding chairs in the shade. Music played from somewhere nearby. Likely bluetooth speakers or someone's car parked just off the road.

Further down the shore, Kiba and his sister stood near a glowing pit. Steam occasionally rose from it whenever one of them prodded at it with a stick. As Sakura got out of the car, Kiba's head jerked up. He sniffed at the air a couple times before he abandoned his sister mid-conversation and ran to greet her. A few people complained as he sprayed sand on them in his hurry.

"Here he comes," muttered Ino, shaking her head in a fond sort of way.

"You're here!" he exclaimed.

Sakura sighed as he engulfed her in a tight hug.

"Yes, Kiba. And you literally saw me yesterday. No need for the drama," she pointed out. Scratching the back of his head, Kiba released her.

"Sorry. Wolf-brain," he replied.

"You-brain, more like," muttered Tenten. Ino hid her snicker behind her hand. As Kiba glared at them, Ino headed for the shade of one of the tents. And Tenten wandered over to join the volleyball game.

Sakura rubbed her palms together as she questioned, "Need any help?"

"Yeah. That'd be great," replied Kiba. Putting his hands on her shoulders, he steered her in the direction of the clam bake buried deep in the sand.

A few hours later, everyone was digging into their early dinner. The lobsters had turned bright red and the shrimps pink. The sweet corn glistened in the sunlight as people took big bites. There was more than enough food for everyone, but whatever was leftover, the pups finished off. They were ravenous, which, according to Hana, was normal. She only intervened when one of them began sniffing around the garbage.

Hana put her feet up on a cooler as her husband gathered up all the empty plates and went to clean up.

"It's the weekend. Count Chocula isn't around?" Kiba asked. His sister whacked him on the back of the head.

"Don't be an asshole," she scolded him.

"Relax. He thinks it's funny when I call him that," Kiba insisted. Hana smacked him again. And as the siblings squabbled, Tenten nudged Sakura with her elbow. Sakura looked at her, confused. Tenten nudged her again, eyebrows rising as she gestured to her hand. Sakura looked down.

She had been fiddling with her necklace again.

Tongue between her teeth, Ino smiled too. Tenten snickered as she tossed another piece of driftwood onto the fire.

Ino and Tenten had already grilled her for details about Ibiza and about Tobirama.

"So... all fixed?" Ino had asked over tiny cups of espresso.

"Um. Well. Better," Sakura had conceded. She was fiddling with the lapis lazuli around her neck, twisting it between her fingers as she thought. And then she glanced at it. "Much better," she had amended. And then she had looked up at her friends.

"Better than it's ever been. I asked for some... space... but... it's good, I think," she remembered fumbling her way through the tangled thoughts in her head.

"Huh. Good, then," Tenten had replied. The simplicity of her answer had baffled Sakura. So much that it had made her laugh. But she liked that. And she envied it, too. Tenten's ability to make up her mind about how she felt.

And that came to mind later as she dug her heels into the sand, staring into the fire. She could hear cheers on the other end of the beach as Kiba and some of his buddies tried to light some sparklers. Tenten was helping the butcher load up the leftovers into the back of his minivan.

Sakura poked another stick into the bonfire, listening to the wood pop in the heat. She started as she felt a hand on top of her head. It was Kakashi. She smiled at him. He returned the expression.

"Can I kidnap you for a bit?" he asked.

Sakura took the hand he offered her. "Of course."

They strolled down the beach, away from all the noises and people. A tinkle caught her attention. Sakura peeked over her shoulder to find Biscuit following after them. Sakura waggled her fingers at him before she faced forward again. But she stopped short when she saw Kakashi wasn't walking anymore.

He stared out at the water, hands in his pockets. Even when she crept up to join him, he didn't move. Like he couldn't tear his gaze away from the ocean.

"I only started being able to come out here a few years ago," he suddenly told her.

It dawned on her. She looked down at her feet. Then out at the waves, too.

"This is pretty far from the church, huh?" she commented.

Kakashi nodded. The breath that left him was long and tired. He tried to shove his hands deeper into his pockets, chin rising. Head tilting to one side as he added, "Maybe, one day, I'll..." He trailed off.

And Sakura could see it. The way the horizon called to him. And how his body- his original body- pulled just as hard. From the cornerstone of that old church with ivy creeping up the white walls. It felt, just for an instant, like the space between her lungs hurt. Just from the look on his face.

But then Kakashi blinked, and he was back to normal. Turning back to her with that gentle smile. She didn't smile back.

Instead, Sakura tugged on his arm. He pulled his hand from his pocket. She wormed her way under his arm, pressing up against his side.

"You will. I know you will," she lied. His hand hovered in the air. Like he wasn't quite sure what to do with it. And after a long while, she felt his sigh. Arm wrapping around her. Hand resting on her upper arm as he held her there.

"Thank you," he whispered. His voice was almost swallowed by the sounds of the waves rushing in.

A few days later, Sakura wandered down to the beach again. Her head a tangle of unfinished melodies and half-baked chords. She ambled down the wooden walkway, hands tucked in the back pockets of her shorts.

She blinked hard.

A boat sat next to the pier, rocking softly with the motion of the waves. She had never seen it in the area before. In fact, she hadn't ever really seen a boat around this area. It was too rocky and the waves weren't very gentle.

As Sakura approached, she looked around. The door was wide open. There was the tinny sound of music playing from a cheap speaker.

"Hello?" she called. She took a step. And then another.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" Sakura asked, raising her voice a little.

"Hello."

She gasped when something sprayed her right leg with water. A webbed hand emerged from the waves. The gills on the side of his throat flattened, sealing shut as he hauled himself up onto his elbows. The necklaces of mother of pearl tangled together on his chest.

"I thought I smelled you here," he said, flashing a grin full of sharpened teeth.